Polishing machine for coated confections



Dec'. 11,1923.`

W. B. RANNEY POLISHING MACHINE FOR COATED CONFECTIONS Filed June 5. 1922 5 Sheets-Sheet l w. B. RANNEY ROLISHING MACHINE FOR COATED CONFEICTIONS Filed' June 5. 1922 s sheets-sheet 2 Dec. 11, 1923. 1,476,840

. w. B. RANNEY `POLISHING MACHINE FOR COATED GONFECTIONS Filed June` 5. 1922 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Patented Dec. 1l, 1923.

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WILLET B. RANNEY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOS, SSIGNOR T0 VWM. WRIGLEY JR. COM- PANY, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, A CORPORATION OF "WEST VRGNIA.

POLISHING MACHINE FOR COATED CONFECI'IONS.

Application filed June 5,

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, VILLET B. RANNEY, a citizen of the United States, and a resident of Chicago, in the county of Coolr and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Polishing Machines for Coated Confections, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to improvements in polishing machines for coated confections, and more particularly to a machine of the character described adapted especiall for the polishing of sugar-coated chewing gum having the shape of a lozenge rather than the familiar stick form.

The invention pertains -to a method for carrying out the finishing process in the manufacture of such products as above mentioned, by the passage of the coated lozenges through a revolving drum or casing having its interior surface coated with a layer of wax. The agitation of the lozenges in con tact with each other and with the wax sun face of the casing as they are advanced from end to end, produces a smooth and lustrous surface with a thin protective coat-- ing of wax.

A further object of the invention is to provide a machine of the character described which will enable the polishing operation to be carried on continuously, the articles being` fed into one end of the machine by mechanical means, acquiring the desired tinish and polish during their travel through the machine, and discharged from the opposite end. Heretofore revolving barrels or kettles have been used, operating intermit-A tently to treat batches of the articles, the lrettles revolving for a predetermined interval of time and then the finished product removed and another batch introdined. Manifestly, this method required a greater amount of attention on the part ofthe op craters, and a considerable loss of time necessarily consumed in emptying and re iilling the receptacles between batches, whereas in the continuous process little or no attention is required other than supplying the unfinished product at the intake end of the machine and removing the lin-- ished product it is discharged.

A machine embodying the invention il- 1922. Serial N0. 565,977.

lustrated in the accompanying' drawings, in which- Fig. l a view in side elevation of the 1nachine,

Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the machine,

Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional view, taken on line 3, 3 of Fig. Q,

Fig. 4L is an enlarged framentary view of a portion of the casing wall, showing the disposition of the wax lining` and agitating bosses,

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of a single lozenge piior to the polishing operation.

Fig. 6 is a perspective view of a single finished and polished article,

Fig. 7 is a top plan-view of the driving mechanism for the revolving casing.

Fig. 8 is a view in front elevation of the feed. hopper at the lower end of the elevatinO' conveyor, and

iig. 9 is a view in side elevation of the feed hopper with portions broken away to show the mechanism for regulating the discharge from the hopper onto the elevating conveyor and for agitating the articles at the discharge opening.

In general, the machine comprises a revolving drum or casing l supported above the Hoor level and at a slight downward inclination to the horizontal, from intake to discharge end. A frame 2 is erected,4` upon the licor and supports the revolvingJ casing. A feed hopper 3 supported upon the floor at a point removed from the intake end of the casing and below the level thereof, from which the articles, are discharged onto an endless belt conveying elevator 4 extending from the lower portion of the feed hopper to a point above and cx.- terior to the inlet end of the casing l. uit able drive mechanism, hereinafter to be described in detail, provides the motive power for rotating the casing l, driving the conveyor belt 2ltogether with certain agitating devices associated with the feed hopper 3.

Means are provided for controlling the discharge of the articles from the feed hopper onto the elevator, and thence discharged at the desired rate onto the elevator, which serves to convey the articles at the desired rate to a point above the intake end of the, casing, where they drop by gravity onto end of the casing.

the inclined screen 5 which forms a chute for directing the articles into the end of the revolving casing. Immediately below the screen 5 is arranged a depending funnel-like chute 5a through which dust and broken particles which sift through the screen 5 are removed and collected in a suitable receptacle, such as a bag secured at the lower end of the chute. A fixed plate 6 (Fig. 3) is mounted in the inlet end of the casing with an opening above for the screen 5.

y Referring now in detail to the revolving casing or drum 1, the same consists of a relatively long eylindric shell of sheet metal supported at two or more points throughout its length upon pairs of rollers 7, 7 which are journalled within bearings S, S bolted to transverse frame members 9 passing beneath the easing 1. These rollers are arranged in pairs, as clearly shown in Fig. 23, spaced apart to engage the surface of the casing on the opposite sides thereof. Surrounding the casing 1 are pairs of flanged rings 10, 1() spaced apart longitudinally to provide guideways for the rollers 7. .As before indicated, the entire casing is tilted or inclined slightly toward the discharge end 'for the manifest reason that the articles will travel by gravity through the length ofthe casing and finally be discharged through a suitable opening, namely,a relatively small aperture 11 formed at the center of a conical cap or head 12 secured to the discharge Mounted just below the discharge opening 11 is a suitable chute 13 directed downwardly into any suitable receptacle, such as a barrel 111, in which the finished articles are collected.

The interior surfaces of the revolving casing 1 is coated with a layer of wax 1, the same being preferably beeswax, which is applied to a uniform thickness of substantially one-eighth of an inch or more. This coating or layer of beeswax is applied throughout the entire length and circumference of the casing. In addition to this coating of wax, bosses 1b built up Vof blocks of wax project from beyond the surface of the wax layer, andare preferably confined to the portion of the casing adjacent the intake end, and not to exceed from one-third to onehalf the length. Although the number and arrangement may be varied, the bosses are approximately four or five inches in diameter. and substantially one inch high, spaced close together in four rows, spaced apart circumferentially at angles of ninety degrees. These bosses serve as agitating members or perhaps as projections tending to roughen the interior of the casing so that the mass of articles will be appreciably, although gently, agitated throughout the initial portion of their travel through the casing. The nat-ure f the treatment undergone by the articles will again be referred to more in detail.

The drive consists of a motor 15 conveniently located on the lioor beneath the casing, and drives a shaft 16 through the medium of a counter shaft 17 directly connected to the motor through a sprocket and chain 1S. Chains 19, 19 meshing with pinions 20, 2O on the shaft 16 drive one pair of rollers 7, 7 through the medium of pinions 21, 21 mounted on the roller spindles 22, Q2.

The feed hopper 3 consists of an open receptacle having an inclined bottom wall Q3 (Fig. 9) and an opening 24.- in the front wall and above the lower edge of the inclined wall 223. The size of this opening is regulated hy a gate or sliding door 25 mounted in guideways 2G. 26 and suspended from a sliding plate 2T by means of arms 2C, Q8, which may he adjusted vertically along the face of the plate hy means of pins which engage a series of holes 2T in said plate. This plate is supported by a depending arm 29 hung from the end of a hori- Zontal shaft 30 connected with said arm by a crank connection 31 of short throw or stroke. The shaft is supported in a hearing standard and a bearing block Pili secured to the hopper. and is driven by a chain 3J.- nieshing with a sprocket wheel 35 mounted on the shaft and a sprocket wheel 3G mounted upon a counter shaft 3T forming part of the conveyor drive` hereinafter to be described. The plate 2T is actuated with a rapid reciprmratory movement; and imparts a like movement to the door, this movement actingto agitate the articles to prevent them from becoming clogged at the discharge opening of the hopper. thus insuring a steady and uniform feed from the hopper onto the elevator 4.

As already suggested, the elevator has the form of an endless belt conveyor extending -from point beneath the discharge opening of the hopper' to a point above the inlet enfl of the casing 1. The ends of the belt 3S are mounted on pulleys 39. 39 in the usual manner. the lower pulley being driven b v a chain and sprocket 40 driven from the counter shaft- 37. which in turn is driven through several drive chains 41 and 42 and intermediate sprockets from the main counter shaft 17.

The surface of the elevator belt 3S is divided into compartments hy a multitude ot spaced blocks or panels 38, each compartment carryinga quantity of the articles upward, and successively emptying its contents onto the inclined screen 5 below the upper end of the elevator.

The articles fed into the revolving casing become mixed with the already rolling mass which assumes a considerable depth throughout the lower portion of the casing. Due. to the rows of bosses. the mass undergoes `yeater agitatioi'i at the intake end, which may be likened to an intermittent surging` as each roiv of bosses carries a portion of the mass upwardly beyond the main body ot the-mass, only to fall back again on top. The result is a complete stirring up of the mass Without violent agitation such as Would crack or chip oit pieces oi' the comparatively fragile coating.4 In addition to the Wax lining of the casing, lumps of Wax are placed in the casing which assist in the distribution or the coating substance. Beyond the region of the bosses the agitation or stirring action becomes less pronounced and the action is a uniform rolling motion due to the revolving action oi the casing, together With a gradual advancement toward the discharge end, resulting from the slight inclination of the casing in that direction. Thus, when each article reaches the end it is properly smoothed and polished, and finally discharged as the result of the natural overflow at the opening ll. so that it may be said that the articles are discharged in substantially the same quantity as they are fed into the machine and that the mass, being advanced through the casing remains constant. Y

To give a general idea of the size and shape of the articles, Figs. 5 and 6 are full size representations ot the coated lozenges. F ig. 5 is inten'led to disclose the appearance of a single lozenge before polished, and Fig. 6 the same after polishing, the principal change undergone being the acquisition of a smooth, glossy finish and a thin protective coating of Wax, intended to maintain the underlying substances in their proper state of preservation, and to render the surface of the articles impervious to moisture and proof against the absorption of foreign matter in handling.

Having described the process, and the means for carrying out the same, I claim as new and novel l. A polishing machine comjirisingan axially rotative casing supported in horizontal position, the interior of said casing being coated with a polishing substance, and means tor feeding articles into one end or" said casing to be discharged from the other end thereof.

2. A polisliin r machine comprising a cylindric casing rotative axially in substantially horizontal position, the interior of said casing being lined with a layer of polishing substance.

3. A polishing machine comprising a cylindiic casing, frame rotatively supporting said casing in substantially horizontal position` a layer of polishing substance applied to the interior of said casing and means for feeding the articles to be polished into said casing.

4. A polishing machine comprising a cylindric casing having an inletopening at one end and a discharge opening at the other end, a frame supporting said casin g for axial stance, means for rotation in substantially horizontal position with its discharge end being slightly below its intake end, a layer oi' polishing substance throughout the inn-er surface of said casing, and means tor agitating the articles to be polished throughout a portion or" the length of the casing.

5. A polishing machine comprising a oylindric casing mounted to revolve axially in substantially horizontal position, the inner surface of said casing being coated with a polishing substance to uniform thickness, and a plurality or' projecting bosses formed ot said polishing substance and eX- tending throughout a portion oit the inner surface of said casing.

6. A polishing machine comprising a cylindiic casing mounted to revolve in a substantially horizontal position, a closure for one end having a relatively simili concentric discharge opening therein, a layer of' polishing substance applied to the inner surface of said casing, and means for feeding the articles to be polished into the opposite end ot' said casing.

7. A polishing machine comprising a cyliudric. casing mounted to revolve axially in horizontal position with a sight downward inclination from intake to discharge end. a layer of polishing substance applied to the inner surface of the casing, and bosses ot the same substance projecting from the surtace through a portion of the casing adjacent the intake end, and means for feeding the articles to be polished into the intake end of the casing.

8. A polishing machine comprising a cylindric casing adapted to revolve axially and in a substantially horizontal position and having a lining of' polishing substance, a supporting frame for said casing, and `intermediate rollers, a feed hopper comprising an agitator adjacent the delivery opening theretrom, a conveyor extending` :from said feed hopper to one end of said casing, and driving mechanism for said casing, agitator and conveyor.

9. A polishing machine comprising a, casing lined with a polishing substance adapted to revolve axially, a feed hopper, an elevator extending from said iced hopper to said cas-ing, a gate tor controlling the. size of the delivery opening from said leed hopper, and means for reciprocating said gate to agitata the articles as they are delivered from the feed hopper.

10.1.3.. vpolishing machine comprising e.. casing having a lining ot polishing submounting said casing in substantially horizont-al position and for axial rotation, a feed hopper, an elevator extending from said feed hopper to sait casing, a vertically adjustable gate for regulating the size ot 'the delivery openingiin said feed hopper, a reciprocating member supporting said gate, and driving mechanism including a shaft and crank connected with said arm whereby said gate is agitated.

11. A method for polishing mieles of the charac-ter described, consisting of feeding said articles into a revolving casing having its surface coated with a polishing substance7 said articles being advanced through said casing,r and discharged from the opposite end.

In witness whereof I hereunto subscribe my name. this 26th day of May, A. D. 1922.

VVILLET B. RANNEY. 

